Slash my budget, please

Since President Bush delivered his State of the Union message, how many news reports have you read in which the reporter mentioned the White House plans to "slash" domestic spending?

Under the President's plans-- to which Congress will surely add-- discretionary spending on domestic programs will increase by 2.1%, or $10 billion. That's $10,000,000,000.

That's just the "discretionary" spending increases, which Washington policy wonks contrast with "mandatory" spending. What is "mandatory" spending? It's spending that Congress has already approved, and doesn't plan to curtail.

"Mandatory" spending on domestic programs-- which really are under the discretion of Congress, if you think about it-- would increase, in the President's plans, by 6%, or $80 billion ($80,000,000,000).

Would somebody please come to my house and "slash" my income the same way?

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